Sheffield Steelers 7-3 Glasgow Clan: Seventh heaven for Steelers

And the beginning went pretty well on Sunday afternoon, at the Arena.Steelers came from 3-1 down to hammer Glasgow Clan 7-3 as a preface to Wednesday's Challenge Cup semi final against the same opposition, followed by crucial weekend League encounters against title contenders Cardiff Devils and Belfast Giants.Clan, who have slumped from top of the League to seventh place over the weeks, battled hardest over the first period.Yet it had actually started badly for them, they were caught out on a 5-on-3 penalty, Jonathan Phillips streaking up ice to net at 4:53.But Glasgow levelled when Scott Tanski found a near post gap following a rebound off Tomas Duba.Two clear-cut chances came and went: Michael Davies hit the post at one end, Tanski doing the same at the other.But with Davey Phillips serving time in the box, ex-Steeler Mathieu Roy replicated a PP goal Arena fans had seen countless times before when he played for Sheffield.The league leaders found themselves 3-1 behind at 25:23 when Jordan Heywood converted a power play chance and Jordan Heywood had a couple of chances to improve on that lead.But then Steelers found themselves. Their awesome pace and power returned.Tanner Eberle improvised his way around Travis Ehrhardt to score on the winger's birthday, at 29:08.The tide was turning: Anthony DeLuca may have missed a golden chance but Clan's respite lasted only until Lucas Sandstrom buried an easy near-post chance.Sheffield took the lead when top points scorer Brendan Connolly tipped in for 4-3.The home side had won their last three games against Glasgow, including a four-goals-in-four-minutes extravaganza just a week prior.And Davies delivered the goal he'd been threatening at 42:56 for number five and Sheffield were free to express themselves.At 50:59 that was demonstrated by Marc-Olivier Vallerand's thumping shot into the top corner assisted by Davies and the energetic Aaron Brocklehurst.A seventh from Connolly secured Sheffield's 30th victory in League and Cup combat.

After the match, it was revealed that versatile Eric Meland was leaving the club for a profession outside hockey.